"The busiest man on the keyboard." Daily Telegraph newspaper (UK).
Jenő Jandó is one of the most prolific artists in the history of classical music recording. He is also increasingly one of its most appreciated and admired.
Having committed to disc all of Mozart's piano sonatas and piano concertos, every Beethoven sonata, every Haydn sonata, both volumes of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier and Bartok's complete piano concertos, he shows no sign of slowing down and is busily engaged with Schubert sonatas and Bartok's complete piano music.
In many ways, Jenő Jandó defines the approach which modern classical music labels like Naxos have to their catalogues: innovation, completeness, quality, breadth and availability. To this can be added perhaps the supremacy of the work over the ego of the performer.
Whatever the formula actually is in Jenő Jandó's case, its success is undeniable. There can now be relatively few classical record racks of any size - in shops or at home - which do not contain a Jenő Jandó recording. This is an astonishing achievement for someone who has never sought an historic profile. How did it all happen?
The story begins in Pecs, a quiet town in southern Hungary, where Jenő Jandó was born and taught the piano by his mother. Then there was formal study of the instrument at the Liszt Academy, under the nurturing scrutiny of Katalin Nemes and Paul Kadosa. After graduation, Jandó had a series of successes in major international competitions, including the Cziffra and Ciani Piano Competitions, yet he himself believes his professional career really began when he took third prize at the Beethoven Piano Competition at the age of 18. He was also the winner of the 1973 Hungarian Piano Concours and took first prize in the chamber music category at the Sydney International Piano Competition in 1977.
When Naxos was still in its infancy, the production planners wanted to release a disc of the better-known Beethoven piano sonatas. By chance, a Hungarian company working with Naxos at the time recommended Mr Jandó and sent in a "demo" tape. The complete Beethoven piano sonatas were then entrusted to Mr Jandó 's capable hands.
Apart from the more extensive recording projects, Jenő Jandó has also given astounding performances of Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini as well as of the piano concertos of Grieg, Schumann and Brahms.
Similar to the ease with which he handles the various demanding styles of the solo piano repertoire, Jenő Jandó also produces first class music when performing with other musicians. His sensitivity to chamber music can be heard in for example his recording with the Kodály Quartet of Schubert's "Trout" Quintet or the Brahms and Schumann Piano Quintets as well as - and perhaps above all - in the highly successful recording of Beethoven's "Archduke" and "Ghost" Piano Trios.
As an accompanist, Jenő Jandó has worked closely with Takako Nishizaki in recordings of the Franck and Grieg violin sonatas and, most notably, in a four-volume set of the Mozart sonatas. His special style of accompaniment also shows itself in Kodály's Sonata for Cello and Piano as well as in a more recent recording of Dohnányi cello sonatas, in partnership with Maria Kliegel.
Jenő Jandó always brings the relevant score along with him to the recording session, but by virtue of his incredible memory seldom needs to refer to it. Notwithstanding the great number of CDs which bear his name, recording sessions are not always a smooth ride however. Ibolya Tóth, his producer, has had many frustrating moments when the pianist unconsciously clicked his tongue or sang along (out of tune) with the piano during a recording session. The practical way to solve the problem? Put an unlit cigarette in his mouth.
With such a vast repertoire under his command and safely committed to disc, there appear to be very few real goals left to the pianist. However, Jenő Jandó now feels he would like to re-record certain works - the Beethoven sonatas for example - with a more mature approach. In fact, this wish for a new reading may already have manifested itself in his recording of Beethoven's Bagatelles and Dances.
For real lovers of the pianist's work however, Jenő Jandó's personality and artistry are already revealed from a new and altogether more intimate angle when he is performing with his wife, mezzo-soprano Tamara Takacs...
All in all the message is clear. Jenő Jandó is here to stay, he is here for the whole world and he is here to enjoy in a burgeoning variety of forms. Explore Jenő Jandó on Naxos and become ever more convinced of the breadth, warmth and humanity of this modern recording phenomenon.
November, 2001
